Providing a Reference - I have been asked to provide a reference for one of my tenants who is moving on. What is my legal position in this and am I putting myself at risk if I say he was a bad tenant?</h2> Referencing (seeking verification of a tenants past performance) is an increasi
Polystyrene Ceiling Tiles - is it legal to have these tiles in the kitchen of a rental property?</h2> There are currently no regulations specifically banning the use of polystyrene ceiling tiles in existing rented property.However, it is unlikely that local authority fire officers and en
Misrepresentation - We recently rented out our rural cottage to a couple. As they wanted to use their computers I said it was possible to get high-speed broad-band. I thought this would be possible but it seems it is not at this time. The couple are now claiming that I misled them and that
I'm receiving mail for previous tenants and some of them are from debt collectors. Will this get my property black listed and cause problems for my current tenants and myself in the future?</h2> It's fairly common to have mail arriving for months and even years after residents have left,
Long Term AST - My prospective tenant has asked for a tenancy term of 6 years. Can I use the usual Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement for this?</h2> The Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the default tenancy for residential lettings and since October 2010 this applies to rents up to �100,000
Question: How long should accounts be kept to satisfy the authorities, things like accounting files, invoices and tax records, as a property landlord?Answer: You must keep your records for 6 years after the tax year to which they apply, whether or not you complete a tax return.It's a good idea, a
Expiry of Section 21 Notice - I have served a Section 21 (s21) Notice on my tenant but don't wish to start proceedings immediately. Can I wait without the notice expiring?Once a Section 21 notice has been served correctly it continues indefinitely, until such time as the tenancy is ended, either
Covenant and Covenant Strength - What is a legal covenant and what is the significance of the terms in relation to rental property and lettings ?</h2>The term covenant can have several meanings and has biblical origins but it is of particulalry significance
2 years ago I purchased a company with a 10 year lease from my ex boss, on a 10 year lease, the lease was set up by a solicitor. After 2 years the business is struggling and is not viable. I feel that my solicitor ill advised me as there was no break clause mentioned. Where do I stand on t
Good Left in the Premises or Uncollected GoodsFrequently, tenants leave goods after their tenancy has concluded or when they have abandon the premises during a tenancy. Uncollected goods and possessions left or abandoned in premises by tenants can pose a real problem for landlords.
<h1 Standing Order</h1>What are Bankers' Standing Orders?</h3><ul <li Standing Orders allow landlords to automate the process of collecting rents</li> <li They safeguard tenants in that the landlord cannot change the payment amount, as is the case with direct debit
The Possession Procedure - 1988 Housing ActThe possession procedure under Section 8 of the Housing Acts 1988 & 1996 is known as the Section 8 Route and is available to landlords where the tenant is in breach of one or more terms of
Renting or Leasing Commercial Property Renting commercial property usually represents a major part of the operating costs involved in running any business. If you include surveyor's and solicitor's fees, rent, business rates, insurance,
Types of Tenure: A tenancy gives the tenant a legal interest in the land and property - in effect, legal ownership for the period of the tenancy. Tenancies can take several forms: <ul <li Rent Act or Regulated Tenancies - pre </li> <li
<h1 Joint or Single Shared Tenancies</h1>Shared House (Joint Tenants) or Individual Rooms (Single Tenants)? Where a landlord lets to multiple and usually unrelated tenants there are two main ways of doing this:(1) As a Joint Tenancyng
These are tenancies that fall outside the scope of the Housing Acts (1988, 1996, 2004), including the Regulated Tenancies, Assured Tenancies (AT) and Assured Shorthold Tenancies ASTs.In the case of a common law residential tenancy , the tenant's rights and obligations are ma
What are Business Tenancies ?A tenancy is an "estate in land", granted for a determined period of time (term of years or fixed term - 6 months,1 year, 21 years, 99 years etc) or a specific period (a periodic tenancy - yearly, monthly, weekly, even daily).In return for the "time lim
Landlord's Duty to Ensure Installations are SafeAll Landlords have a common law duty to ensure that gas installations and appliances supplied with their properties are safe. Tenants also have certain legal obligations when it comes to gas safety - see below.I
Only one-third of Oxfords private rental properties have been registered for its city-wide selective licensing scheme and could soon face steeper fees or a hefty fine. The scheme, which launched last September, has received more than 10,500 licence applications from the 3
An https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/braverman-under-pressure-to-reverse-outrageous-new-hmo-rules-for-asylum-seekers/" HMO landlord says desperate new tenants are moving in hours after the previous tenants leave due to a dearth of available properties. In he
A letting agent who ripped off dozens of landlord clients has been banned from being a company director for eight years. https://www.landlordzone.co.uk/news/letting-agent-who-stole-80000-from-dozens-of-landlords-admits-fraud/" Frank Smart , 46, the owner of Sma
In a market where interest rates are sky high, tax bills are extortionate and mortgage payments are higher than rents, coupled with a backlog of refurb costs and difficult tenant situations, landlords are rushing to cash in and sell their property portfolios. If you were a landl
With one in five households now renting, the private rented sector is an essential part of the housing market. As the government has reduced its housebuilding strategy for all local authorities from mandatory to advisory, with some councils scrapping targets all together, the ho
A European lettings portal has launched in the UK aimed at globe-trotting students and young professionals. Rotterdam-based https://housinganywhere.com/" HousingAnywhere , which specialises in mid- to long-term rentals, now covers London,
Over the last 15 years, the HMO market has been transformed and there has been a boom. The reason for the boom was, quite simply, that HMOs could generate far better returns than single home lets. But as the market grew, regulations tightened. On top of the extra du
Nearly half of all Section 21 eviction notices have been prompted by landlords selling their properties, Citizens Advice has revealed. It also says that its seen a ramping up of evictions by landlords using Section 21 notices, handling some 2,000 cases last month. <p id=""
A guaranteed rent firm has taken down its website after being exposed for using spurious claims about its connections with reputable bodies. London-based UK Housing Group Ltd, which boasts of being, the largest social housing agency in London and the Midlands featured out-
Landlords hope housing secretary Michael Gove will update them on the Renters Reform Bill when he takes top billing at the NRLA's national conference later
A raft of mortgage brokers and financial experts have criticised the Government's focus on the build-to-rent (BTR) sector and its policies which sezek to side-line traditional
The Met Police has issued new guidance for frontline officers around <a href="https://newsarchive.landlordzone.co.uk/news/illegal-evictions-increasing-dramatically-says-leadin
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-update-on-work-in-housing-sector">The Competition and Markets Authority</a> (CMA) is to dig deeper into zero deposit schemes an
Serviced offices one would surmise, offer the ideal solution in a post-Covid world. Mainstream office investments are struggling in a world where a good proportion of most com
Renters looking to live in the capital can sign up for a new alternative renting concept that blurs the lines between traditional hotels, serviced apartments and private
Read the UK property market recap with expert forecasts for 2023 and 2024, from price trends to investor insights.
Northern Ireland officials have refused to get tougher on HMO landlords despite pleas from Belfast councillors that parts of the city are becoming over-run and affected by ant
In an almost unanimous decision, landlords are throwing in the towel, opting to take the cash and sell their property portfolios. It seems that the gravy train for buy-to-lets
Growing numbers of tenants are turning to deposit alternative products as inflation, high rents and interest rate rises make it more attractive to hold on to their money to sp
A shocked landlord has revealed on social media that their letting agency illegally deducted its �tenant finding' fee from the tenancy deposits of the renters involved.</p
The boss of a build-to-rent (BTR) property search website has insisted the sector is not out to only attract more affluent tenants, despite criticism in the past that it does.
The Ministry of Justice launches a tool to help tenants address repair issues with landlords, guiding them through legal options and support services.
A landlord who's being threatened with a massive rent repayment order has told of his frustration at a court system that is unfairly weighted towards tenants.
A well-known property firm has made the unusual move of criticising the Government for not letting landlords know how they will afford and implement the proposed tightending o
Scores of HMO landlords in Portsmouth have threatened to sell up or convert their properties to family lets once a new additional scheme launches next month.
Evictions expert Paul Shamplina says UK court delays for landlords are the worst ever he’s seen during his legal career within the private rented sector.
The full impact of Tory policies and rising mortgage interest rates have been highlighted by new research commissioned by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA)
Specialist buy-to-let broker Mortgages For Business (MFB) has urged landlords approaching re-mortgage to secure a new rate as early as possible following the latest update on
Evictions expert Paul Shamplina says UK court delays for landlords are the worst ever he's seen during his career within the private rented sector.
Landlords have effectively lost more than �4,000 in earnings per property during the last year thanks to soaring mortgage rates and rising costs.
Landlords in the capital's prime rental sector are facing a stark choice between topping up a rent shortfall or selling up.
UK's oil boiler ban for off-grid homes delayed to 2035; landlords face retrofit challenges with heat pumps in rural properties.
New data analysis confirms a rise in buy-to-let landlords selling properties during the past two years and the potential for more properties to leave the sector.
